Organisers – The MS Society Malaysia & The Rotary Club of Klang Valley
The Multiple Sclerosis Essay Writing Competition is co-organised by The Rotary Club of Klang Valley (RCKV), a member of Rotary International, and the Persatuan Multiple Sclerosis Malaysia (otherwise known in English as the MS Society Malaysia), established in 2003, is the national body representing the interests of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Objectives of the competition
The Rotary Club of Klang Valley and the MS Society Malaysia will organise an annual MS Essay Competition, the 2nd in the series. The competition serves to educate the public about MS through all forms of social media and encourage them to come together to support the MS Society Malaysia. While some people have heard of MS, very few know what the disease is and how it affects those who suffer from it, and the challenges faced by caregivers. The public would largely not be aware of the emotional as well as the sensory components of pain or the suffering endured by MS patients and their caregivers.
Reasons for participation
People may participate in writing contests for various reasons. MS patients will want to share
their personal stories of how they have managed or are managing the challenges arising from
having the potentially disabling disease.
The quality of life of an MS patient is driven in large part by emotional and social support from friends and loved ones/caregivers. As such, friends of MS patients, caregivers nurses, and therapists may wish to share their experiences in providing support to MS patients.
Two categories of participants
i. MS patients
ii. Caregivers and friends of MS patients, Therapists, and Nurses who work with MS
Patients
Eligibility
i. The competition is open to all who are associated with MS Patients and are residents
in Malaysia.
ii. There is no age limit.
iii. Participants who have participated in the 2021 competition are ineligible.
Contest fee
Free. No participation fee will be charged to contestants.
Online submission – Email: malaysia.ms.society@gmail.com
Online submissions are aimed at minimizing the time that otherwise would be taken by hardcopy submissions and enabling the judges to access the essays easily. All submissions must be emailed to MS Society of Malaysia. An email address would be provided to participants. Submissions must include the following, on the cover page:
i. Title of essay
ii. Full name and IC number of the contestant
iii. Email address and telephone number of the contestant
iv. Category of participation
Competition Rules (more rules to be included, as necessary)
i. Submit a 750 – 1,000 words essay (word count excludes charts/diagrams/tables).
ii. Submissions below or exceeding the word count will only be considered in the
competition at the sole discretion of judges.
iii. Essays submitted must not consist or state any products/brand names of medicines including molecule names of drugs.
iv. Essays for the competition shall be in either Bahasa Malaysia or English language.
v. For consistency, the font to be used shall be Arial, size 12, and 1.5 line spacing.
vi. The deadline for submission of the essays will be at 8.00 pm (Malaysian time), on15th April. The organisers reserve the right to extend the deadline for submission at their sole discretion without assigning any reason whatsoever.
Originality
Submitted work must be original, and not plagiarised from another source. It must also not be previously published in any other media. Any attempt at copying any part of someone else’s writing will be considered cheating, indeed a shameful act, and disqualified.
Criteria for judging
The focus of the essays will not be on grammar or proficiency in the language written but on the meaningful content. The following are the key elements in the evaluation of the essays.
i. Neurological symptoms expressed.
ii. Mental health status, for e.g., physical and emotional effects, impact on self/others.
iii. Coping mechanisms, inspiring hope.
Prizes to be won, in each of the 2 categories of participants.
MS Patients & Caregivers, Therapists, and Nurses
1st prize RM1,500
2nd prize RM1,000
3rd prize RM500
Consolation prizes RM200 each
Certificates
i. All participants will be given a certificate of participation.
ii. Winners will receive their respective winning certificates.
Date of announcement of winners: On World MS Day – 30th May 2022
Publication of Selected Essays
Participants shall grant the organisers the absolute right to share their submissions either online or in printed form, for the benefit of the MS community, as well as for many others who wish to better understand the lives of MS patients. Pseudonym (nama samaran) may be used by participants who do not wish to have themselves identified in the publication.
Download the Compiled from submissions to the MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS ESSAY WRITING COMPETITION 2021